It Wasn't Like That
by Drop Your Oboe
Summary: ...but really, it was. As they flee the Emerald City, Elphaba asks Fiyero exactly why it is that he's doing this for her, and he tells her. And that's when they find out that it was like that, after all. Musicalverse Fiyeraba oneshot. Fluffy, too.


Out of the Emerald City, or at least far enough outside of it- they were safe now, for the time being. Breathless, Elphaba came to her senses and stopped short. She pulled Fiyero around to face her, yanking him into a stand of trees, for cover, and jerking her hand roughly out of his. "What are you _doing_?" she hissed.

He stared at her first in shock, then just plain surprise. "Elphaba, I thought-"

Elphaba bit her lip and closed her eyes, letting out a quick breath. "Wait. I didn't mean it that way." She opened her eyes and looked at him almost in confusion. "It's just- Fiyero, _why_ are you doing this? You've just joined forces with Oz's most wanted criminal. But you had a life back there," she continued, gesturing behind herself, back to the Emerald City. "A life and a future. Why would you give that all up?" She smiled a little, sadly, then shook her head. "I'm still saying this all wrong. Thank you for saving my life, Fiyero, but- why?"

Fiyero was still staring at her. Finally, he shook his head, starting to smile. "I may have- what was it you said? Joined forces with Oz's most wanted criminal? But you _aren't_, Elphaba, not to me." He stopped: Elphaba was looking down.

"I don't want to believe this," she said softly, "because then I know for sure that I'll wake up."

Fiyero chuckled at her. "Oh, Elphaba." He reached out to tip her face up with a gentle hand on her cheek, and quickly she put her hand over his, surprised, and looked up at him.

"You'll break Glinda's heart," she told him.

"I know," he said guiltily, "and I don't want to, but don't you see, I have no choice. It would have been unkind of me to pretend that I was happy," he continued, "because that would only have hurt her more, and that's not what I want to happen. Elphaba, Glinda and me being engaged- that was no choice of mine, and yes, I accepted it, but only because I was convinced that-" Fiyero stopped, then shrugged. "Well, that you didn't want to be found. That you were hiding from me. Elphaba." He said her name quietly, looked into her eyes. "I don't love Glinda."

Elphaba was shaking her head. "I know," she said slowly.

"You do?"

"I-" She blushed. "I'm sorry, Fiyero, it's just it's hard for me to believe all this, because-" She looked up at him, anxious and frustrated with herself. He was looking at her with a little half-smile on his face, confused, happy. Her resistance dissolved, and she shrugged, accepting it. Quiet, she said, "I've loved you ever since that day we rescued the Lion cub."

Fiyero took her hands. "Then why were you hiding from me?" he asked softly.

"What else did you expect me to do? With the Wizard's guards on my heels and the Wizard himself declaring me a wicked witch? Fiyero, I've seen what they can do. And I had no way of knowing that you hadn't changed." She laughed a little, shook her head. "Though I couldn't imagine that you had. But when you're a criminal you can't trust anyone."

"Well, I have changed," Fiyero said again, moving closer to her. Surprised, she put a hand on his chest. "But not that way." He paused and took a few steps away from her; she released his other hand reluctantly, watching. He stood with his back to her and his head down. After a moment, Fiyero turned. "I've seen what I used to be like, Elphaba," he started, struggling to explain properly. "I've seen what they're all like. Everybody who's anybody, apparently- they cast people on and off like fashion trends. But you-" He ran a hand through his hair, looking at her almost in wonder. "You're the only person I know that doesn't, Elphaba, you're the most genuine person I've ever met. You don't just say you care, you really _do_. And-" He shook his head again and came back to her, laying his hand on her cheek. "I would never hurt you, Elphaba. Ever. Please believe me."

Elphaba looked up at him and smiled, gently. "I do," she said. He grinned at her, put his other hand on her cheek also.

"I love you," he told her, and she smiled, a laugh spilling from her lips. She looked down, then back up again, reaching to brush his hair out of his eyes. "Oh, Fiyero," she said, and then he leaned down and kissed her. She took in a quick breath, and Fiyero drew back, amused and surprised.

Truly, it had been a shock. His lips on hers, her hands on his face, the warmth that rushed through her body and pooled at every place where they touched, the longing when they parted. "I've never been kissed before," she explained shakily.

He chuckled. "So how was that, for a first kiss?"

She raised her eyebrows at him. "It was nice," she admitted, and he grinned and kissed her again, deepening the kiss this time.

"That was much better," he murmured.

She smiled. Just then there was a sound behind them, and she went tense in his arms, his grip on her shoulders the only thing keeping her from whirling to find the source of the noise.

"We still aren't safe here," she said, her voice hushed. Fiyero nodded agreement. Unexpectedly, she turned to him and laid a hand on his chest, and he saw fear in her eyes. "Fiyero- I'm glad you're here. Thank you for coming with me."

He reached out and pulled her into his arms, and for a moment they stood completely still, holding each other tightly. Fiyero's hand shifted up to stroke her hair.

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be."

_I think this is the first time I've dared to post any of my musicalverse Fiyeraba fluff. It's a scary prospect for a hopeless romantic like me._

_And before I forget, because I'm off to beg my lucky stars to shine just a bit brighter so that maybe I can get the next part of Storms up sometime this week: the characters aren't mine. In this case, they belong to Stephen and Winnie. But I'd really like to know what you thought of what I did with them, please. Review?_


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